


The Brightest Flame (The Darkest Shadow)

by RayShippouUchiha



Series: Shadows & Strength [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate genin teams, Angst, BAMF Nara Shikamaru, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Canon-Typical Violence, Crack Treated Seriously, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Genderfluid Character, Hatake Kakashi Needs Help, Hatake Kakashi Needs a Hug, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Love At First Chakra Enhanced Strike, M/M, Monstrous Strength Naruto, Nara Shikaku Is Very Tired, Nara Shikamaru Gives No Fucks, Naruto With Tsunade's Strength, Sasuke You In Danger Boy, Shikamaru Calls Dibs On Naruto, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Smitten Nara Shikamaru, Strong Uzumaki Naruto, Team Ticking Time Bomb, The Nara Fixation, Uchiha Idiocy, Uchiha Sasuke Being an Idiot, Violence, Yandere Shikamaru Nara, alternate team 7
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:27:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24950017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayShippouUchiha/pseuds/RayShippouUchiha
Summary: Shikamaru’s never felt chakra so vibrant and warm before.The log that Naruto’s been punching shatters clean apart, reduced to little more than splinters under the devastating force of his chakra enhanced blow.Shocked and more than a bit startled, Shikamaru wheezes loudly, the sound carrying across the clearing and causing Naruto to abruptly turn and look in his direction.And in that single moment Shikamaru is lost.
Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Shadows & Strength [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805692
Comments: 221
Kudos: 2802
Collections: Naruto - (読み返す [よみかえす])





	The Brightest Flame (The Darkest Shadow)

Shikamaru pushes his way through the underbrush with a tired sigh.

Chōji might be his best friend and Ino might be like an annoying almost sister he never wanted but will, undoubtedly, have to deal with for _forever_ since his future as the _Shika_ in this generations _Shika-Ino-Cho_ formation is already set in stone, but right now Shikamaru wants to be far away from _both_ of them.

There’s only so much of Ino’s screeching about Sasuke or Sakura, or even Chōji’s eating habits, that he can take. Especially since they all know that Ino’s not stupid enough to really have a problem with Chōji doing what he has to do to build a proper foundation for the Akimichi Clan’s signature techniques.

She’s just lashing out, taking her frustrations out on a convenient target with known pressure points that’ll give her the argument she so obviously wants.

And Chōji, of course, is giving her exactly that.

For his part, Shikamaru just thinks the entire thing is exhausting.

Honestly Shikamaru’s only hope for a semi-peaceful team life is the idea that _maybe_ Ino will grow out of her inborn need for drama as they get older, that _maybe_ becoming a full fledged kunoichi will mellow her out.

Then again, taking what he knows about Inoichi-ojisan specifically and the Yamanaka Clan in general into account, Shikamaru’s also aware that it’s highly unlikely either of those things will happen.

So that just means he’ll have to take his peace when and where he can find it.

And today that peace just so happens to be found in cloud watching and sunbeam napping in an out of the way and mainly forgotten training ground tucked away in a small clearing near the edges of the forest.

Or at least that was Shikamaru’s initial plan.

Shikamaru can’t bite back the groan of irritation that claws its way out of him when he steps into the clearing only to realize that someone else has beat him there.

And by someone else he means the worst possible person to run into outside of his _mother_ on a day when all he wants to do is relax.

And by the worst possible person he means _Naruto_.

Because if Shikamaru’s going to run into one of his classmates while trying to get some peace and quiet then of course, _of course_ , it’s going to be _Naruto_ , the single loudest, most obnoxious person he knows.

Which, taking into account the fact that Shikamaru's known Ino since the cradle, is really saying something.

For a brief moment Shikamaru contemplates just turning around and leaving. Of heading back to the Nara Compound and slinking into the forest there to take a nap with the deer.

He dismisses the idea pretty quickly because, well, he’s already come this far and going all the way back home would be a total drag.

Plus Naruto hasn’t even noticed him yet so if Shikamaru’s really quiet and finds a spot where he can pretend to be grass for a few hours Naruto might not even realize he’s not alone anymore.

It’s without a doubt not Shikamaru’s best plan but it’s what he’s got.

Shikamaru settles down by the trees just behind and to the right of where Naruto’s punching at a training log with surprising force.

Laid back on the grass beneath one of the towering trees, Shikamaru turns his eyes towards the sky and does his best to block out the rhythmic thunk-thunk of Naruto doing whatever Naruto thinks he’ll accomplish by repeatedly hitting a stationary log.

It doesn’t work.

After five or so minutes of trying futility to become one with the grass and the shadows, Shikamaru huffs out a quiet sigh and sits back up.

It seems as if even when he’s not talking or pulling pranks or getting into trouble Naruto’s still _distracting_.

Leaning back against the trunk of the tree, Shikamaru takes a moment to really and truly _look_ at his classmate.

Naruto’s hair is short today, all bouncy sunshine gold spikes instead of the long flowing pigtails he sometimes wears, the ones that normally get him screamed at and hit on by the girls in the class. He’s bare foot, a move that _always_ gets him in trouble with their sensei, and he’s wearing a slightly ragged sunset orange and blue training kimono that’s beginning to fray a bit around the hems.

It’s one of the only two outfits that Shikamaru has ever actually seen him wear both inside and outside of the Academy and it’s the one that, if pushed, Shikamaru would have to say he prefers. The other outfit, a puffy orange jumpsuit, is a bit of an eyesore to put it mildly.

But, clothes aside, it’s the look on Naruto’s face, just visible from where Shikamaru’s sitting, that really captures his interest.

Naruto’s eyes, a vibrant blue Shikamaru’s never seen on anyone else, are narrowed and his mouth is set in a firm line of concentration as his fists slam, one after the other in some strange and slightly off beat rhythm, into the training log in front of him.

Over and over again way past the point that Shikamaru’s sure others in their class would’ve stopped or at least paused and wrapped their hands.

But Naruto ...

Naruto just keeps going.

It’s just a little bit interesting because Shikamaru’s never seen Naruto so _dedicated_ to anything before.

Although, to be fair, it’s not like he’s ever really seen much of Naruto outside of class or like he actually pays any kind of real attention to him either way.

As far as Shikamaru knows no one really does.

He’s known Naruto, or to be more accurate, he’s existed in the same places as Naruto, for years now. It’s a little bit startling to realize that, outside of laughing at a few of his pranks or wishing with no small degree of exasperation that he’d just be _quiet_ , Shikamaru doesn’t actually know much about Naruto at all.

He’s pretty sure no one in their class does either. Except for Hinata, who despite never actually _talking_ to Naruto, seems to watch him a lot when they’re in class together.

Intrigued now despite himself, Shikamaru, knees drawn up and chin resting on his crossed arms, narrows his eyes in Naruto’s direction and _thinks_.

He’s pretty sure that the things he knows about Naruto are the things that _everybody_ knows about Naruto. He’s loud, likes the color orange and ramen, pulls some surprisingly complex pranks, is horrible in class overall but somehow still hasn’t been expelled. He also wants to be Hokage one day despite being pretty universally disliked by the entire village.

Naruto’s also an orphan, has no actual friends, and spends all of his time training despite never showing much in the way of improvement in their lessons.

And that’s it. That’s basically all of the knowledge Shikamaru’s managed to accumulate about Naruto, his loudest, most attention grabbing classmate he’s never really paid attention to.

Shikamaru’s disinterest in Naruto doesn’t really come from a bad place either. He ignores the vast majority of their class to be honest, content with Chōji as his best friend, Ino as their Ino, and only occasionally hanging out with some of the others outside of the Academy.

When it comes to Naruto specifically it’s just that, well, Shikamaru’s already stuck with one troublesome blond in his life so he’s never been all that interested in adding another to the mix.

Naruto’s voice suddenly ringing out across the clearing abruptly drags Shikamaru up and out of his thoughts. 

“Alright!” Naruto practically chirps as he stops hitting the training log, reaches up to pat himself on the cheeks with both hands, and then abruptly shifts his stance. “That’s enough warming up, time to get serious.”

Shikamaru’s brows arch high in curiosity because _serious_ and _Naruto_ aren’t two things that generally seem to go together in his experience. 

Naruto’s eyes narrow again, that focus from earlier abruptly returning, as he raises his hands back up and prepares to strike.

And then ...

Then there’s just _chakra_.

It’s so thick and potent that Shikamaru can practically taste it blossoming bright and _biting_ across his tongue like sun warm satsuma.

Shikamaru’s never felt chakra so vibrant and warm before.

The log that Naruto’s been punching shatters clean apart, reduced to little more than splinters under the devastating force of his chakra enhanced blow.

Shocked and more than a bit startled, Shikamaru wheezes loudly, the sound carrying across the clearing and causing Naruto to abruptly turn and look in his direction.

And in that single moment Shikamaru is _lost_.

“ _Shikamaru_?” Naruto calls his name, eyes wide in curiosity and confusion, his head tilted to the side. “What’re you doing here?”

Shikamaru doesn’t answer him, can’t. Not with the way his heart skips a beat as something in the back of his mind seems to click into place, parts of him rearranging themselves to fit this new personal truth he’s just discovered.

Because Shikamaru is a _Nara_ to the core, is the strongest they’ve seen in generations, and the Nara have _always_ been a Clan of shadows after all.

And what does the shadow crave more than the light?

Naruto, with his ocean blue eyes and his golden hair swaying in the breeze his attack had created, shines as bright as the sun itself.

And Shikamaru intends to have him.

 _“Beautiful_ ,” Shikamaru breathes the word out, unable to keep it locked behind his teeth any longer.

 _‘So much for that quiet wife and two ordinary kids idea,’_ Shikamaru can’t help but think to himself in some distant part of his mind as he stares at Naruto, hands shaking, mouth dry, and heart pounding fit to burst in his chest. _‘Time for a new plan.’_

Because, really, there’s no way life with _Naruto_ is going to be any form of _quiet_ or normal.

So that means that everything he knows needs to be reevaluated. Shikamaru's entire life plan has to be thrown out the window and then redrawn from scratch.

Either way Shikamaru's not actually all that upset about his entire life being thrown into an abrupt upheaval.

After all, convincing Naruto to marry him as soon as possible will be well worth the effort.

**Author's Note:**

> Be sure to let me know what you think and come check out the Shadows & Strength AU tag for more info on this AU!
> 
> https://rayshippouuchiha.tumblr.com


End file.
